Conferencing systems, such as videoconferencing and audio conferencing systems (e.g., teleconferencing systems) often include a conference device that includes one or more microphones and a speaker to allow one or more conference participants near the conference device to participate in a conference using the conference device. One or more participants that are away from or remote from the conference device—e.g., not in the same room as the conference device—can use remote conference devices, telephones and/or other devices to connect the remote participants to the conference device using a mixer functionality in the conference device.
As a number of participants using the same conference device (e.g., conference participants in the same room) increases, a distance that at least some participants reside from the conference device generally increases. And, as the distance between participants using the conference device and the conference device increases, it can become increasingly difficult for remote participants to hear participants using the conference device that are a greater distance from the communication device. Moreover, an apparent volume of participants' voices sharing the conference unit to the remote participant(s) can vary according to a distance each local participant is to the conference device.
To address this issue, local participants using the conference device may get up and move closer to the conference device during a conference, move the conference device closer to one or more participants, or speak louder. Such activities may need to be repeated for one or more of the local conference participants. And, either activity may cause unwanted noise or disruption during a conference.
Another technique to address this problem includes use of satellite microphones that are connected to the conference device—e.g., using either wired or wireless (e.g., Bluetooth or Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT)) technology. However, even with the additional microphones, one or more participants may have to get up and move closer to a microphone or have a microphone moved closer to the participant during a conference. Moreover, this solution increases costs of the conference device associated with the additional satellite microphones.
Yet another technique to address this problem is to have a participant use a remote device to connect to the conference device. For example a participant in the same room as the conference device and other participants may choose to dial in to the conference—using the same techniques remote participants use to dial in to the conference. While this solution addresses the need for participants to move closer to a microphone on or connected to the conference device or to have a microphone moved closer to the participant, the technique also has several disadvantages. When a participant near the conference device connects to the conference, the participant's voice is repeated over the conference device speakers, which because of transmission delays can result in an echoing of the participant's voice to the participant that called in to the conference and to other participants near the conference device. In addition, when a participant uses a remote device, such as a mobile phone to call in to the conference, the mobile phone or other device shows as busy or in use, so the participant may not be able to make or receive additional calls.
Accordingly, improved systems and methods for conferencing using a remote microphone are desired.
It will be appreciated that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of illustrated embodiments of the present invention.